TASHKENT, UZBEKISTAN / RankWire.AI / – India and Uzbekistan have raised bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership following high-level talks in Tashkent. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced the upgrade during Modi’s August 29 to 30 state visit. The leaders reviewed cooperation in trade, investment, transport, digital technology, energy and critical minerals. Their talks also covered healthcare, pharmaceuticals, education, security and regional affairs.
Economic ties featured prominently in the discussions between the two governments. Uzbekistan said bilateral trade reached $1.3 billion in 2025, marking a 33% annual increase. India and Uzbekistan set a goal of lifting trade to $5 billion by 2030. The number of joint ventures has also risen sevenfold in recent years. The countries currently have 14 direct flights each week, while four Indian universities operate in Uzbekistan.
Officials also agreed to create a foreign ministers-level mechanism for monitoring bilateral commitments. A separate joint working group will address non-tariff measures and investment barriers. Both sides will review further steps after completing a feasibility study for a Preferential Trade Agreement. Priority industries include energy, metallurgy, electrical engineering, critical minerals and agriculture. Healthcare, pharmaceuticals, automobiles, electronics, mechanical engineering and jewellery were also included in the economic agenda.
Agreements broaden cooperation in multiple sectors
India and Uzbekistan signed 11 agreements, memoranda and related arrangements during the visit. The package covers cultural exchanges, higher education, scientific research, environmental protection and traditional medicine. It also includes tourism, geology, mineral resources, archival cooperation and economic dialogue. Gujarat state and Uzbekistan’s Samarkand region also agreed to deepen regional ties. Another arrangement covers diplomatic training, while separate measures support archaeological conservation at the Fayaz Tepa and Kara Tepa Buddhist sites.
The visit also produced announcements in payments, education and environmental cooperation. India committed $1 million for afforestation and ecological work in the Aral Sea region. It also announced 100 Lal Bahadur Shastri scholarships for Hindi studies and a Sanskrit academic chair in Tashkent. NPCI International Payments and Uzbekistan’s National Interbank Processing Centre reached a commercial agreement involving UPI. The system will let Indian UPI applications scan Uzbekistan’s national UZQR code for merchant transactions.
Security and multilateral ties remain on agenda
Modi and Mirziyoyev also discussed defence, counterterrorism and regional security. The leaders condemned terrorism, including cross-border terrorism, and supported stronger action against financing networks and safe havens. They also backed deeper cooperation in intelligence sharing, law enforcement, cyber threats and organized crime. India and Uzbekistan noted continued military engagement, including the Dustlik exercise held in Uzbekistan’s Namangan region in April 2026. Both governments also supported wider coordination through regional and international institutions.
Uzbekistan reaffirmed support for India’s bid for permanent membership of a reformed United Nations Security Council. The two countries also agreed to strengthen coordination through the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and other multilateral forums. During the visit, Mirziyoyev awarded Modi the Oliy Darajali Do’stlik Order. Uzbekistan recognizes it as its highest state honour for foreign leaders. Modi invited Mirziyoyev to visit India, with the timing to be finalized through diplomatic channels.
